My Kids

I know it's bragging, and I know that everyone loves their own kids and thinks they're great.... BUT.... My kids are SO great!!I was watching Emma playing at this little park across from our hotel in San Diego (Loredana was asleep in the car, so I was sitting with the door open watching Emma play about 30 feet away- in case anyone wants the details to turn me in for neglect), Emma was playing by herself because nobody else was at the park. She was playing in the sand, pouring onto this little ledge, making hills and stuff. Every once in a while she would just wave to me and smile.
Then she started running over the grass, picking these little white flowers (weeds, but not dandelions- I'm not sure what they're called). She gave some to me and then she took some over to her sand hills. Later, she found a piece of newspaper (glitter as she would call it) and started piling grass and clover on top of it. She took it to the top of the play structure and created a nest for birds. As I was watching her playing with the simplest materials, looking totally beautiful with her San Diego tan at sunset and I started reflecting on our week and returning over and over to the same conclusion: I have GREAT KIDS! They are happy and healthy and polite (50% of the time) and fun and generous and caring and beautiful and such a blessing. I also realized that I am not worried about what kind of adult Emma will be. I worry a lot of August 25, 2003- her first day of kindergarten, what a heartbreaker! I worry about elementary school, junior high (what a nightmare) and high school. But when I think about her as an adult, as a wife, mother, career woman-whatever she decides to become, I'm not worried. She's great now and she'll be great then- We just have to get her through the in between without too many battle scars.

Proof from San Diego that my kids are great.
1) We ate dinner every night in restaurants with other people at 8:00 or 9:00 pm every night. They were pleasant, they didn't freak out, they ate their food without complaining, and most days that hadn't had a nap!
2) We went lots of places. They had to wait their turn, be flexible, get in and out of the stroller and pick small sourvenirs (it's cute to hear Emma tell Loredana she can't have something because it's "too spensive".) I'm sad about always telling her no because we can't afford things, but reality is reality.
3) Emma talked to and played games with Doug's friends. They laughed at her jokes, performed magic tricks for her, and helped her with the game. She has become more comfortable around adults since we moved into the big house. It could be an age thing, but I really think it's more an environment thing. She has more adults responding positively to her on a daily basis and so she is less hesitant than she used to be to share her personality with adults. (Maybe I should have grown up in a house with 6 adults.) This scares me a little too- I'm a freaky mom who is always warning her about strangers. I'm not good at balancing this one.
So I'm pretty much done bragging about how great I think my kids are, but I would encourage you to read Emma's blog (sorry I can't connect you) and maybe you can catch a glimpse of my Sunday afternoon in a park in San Diego with two great kids.

How was San Diego?

SO AMAZING! They have the best weather there. It was like 87 degrees or something. I didn't even realize how different it was until we got back and I burned the crap out of my hands in the car. It's humid there, which I usually don't like, but it wasn't quite the same as Las Vegas when it's humid here. Anyway, I took the kids to the beach; the Scripps Aquarium- hands-on "petting tank"; Sea World-twice (the second time was free); the Maritime Museum- really old boats to tour- the kids liked this more than I thought they would, and I was glad I took them even though it wasn't in my vacation "plan"; the Zoo-whatever, I'm just not that crazy about zoos in the first place and it is VERY hilly (65 pounds in a double stroller uphill= A LOT of exercise); and Balboa Park (the kids just played on a playground) That was the most humid day.
We also swam in the hotel pool- Emma has a very nice tan to show for it, despite the sun screen she wore- and we played at this little park right across the street from our hotel. Las Vegas has some really great parks and this little park was nothing compared to here, but kids like slides and sand so we played there. We ate at fun little non-chain restaurants and I watched TV versions of movies (Top Gun & Sixteen Candles) each night while Doug played games with his friends in the hotel room. It is nice to say, "Want to play a game?" and then be able to do it no matter what time it is and stuff, part of what I like about living with other people.
It was a great vacation. It was very relaxing, enjoyable to eat out every single meal, and refreshing to experience a different climate in the middle of July. I haven't read Doug's blog about the trip, but I am sure he had many animated details to share. We even dreamed about living in downtown San Diego some time in the future- What a great dream! If you get a chance to vacation in San Diego, I highly recommend it!

Hanging Out

It is SO fun living with our friends. Last night was like being in high school again. Just hanging out, talking, sharing things you wouldn't normally share, eating chips at midnight and so on. We didn't have to worry about our babysitters or getting kids into bed because there was NO BABYSITTER and our kids were already in bed, in their own beds. Nobody had to drive home (well, Tommy and Meghann did- sorry- You should try out the guest bed some time). It didn't really matter how late we played games or anything. It was just normal life, but it felt like normal life from a different time or a different place- maybe the "Friends" set. You know, they have kids, but they are only on the show when they need something cute to happen- at all other times the kids are always at a babysitter or something (not an accurate portrayal of parenthood in my opinion except our life with our "Friends" and our kids are sleeping soundly in their own beds dreaming of the games they will play with their friends ALL DAY tomorrow.)Anyways, I just wanted to say how happy I am about sharing our lives with our friends and how it seems like it would be very difficult to transition back into "normal society" with separate houses. I wonder if I will continue to feel this way.? I wonder if it will be impossible for me to transition back after five years.?

Nobody's Blogging

I'm totally addicted to reading blogs now and I've been checking a couple of times a day (somedays- this is my first time today). The problem is that nobody has written anything new. I've read blogs that are links from other people's blogs. People I don't even know. Even they (the people I don't know) haven't blogged anything new. I decided that I would blog something new- maybe start a chain reaction or something- ha! only the Parkers even know I started a blog. Maybe they'll write something.
So my baby is now the size of a peach. That seems pretty big to me. I still have a long way to go and I could see this baby without a microscope. It's good that we have a while because we don't have a girl name picked out. We want to name her after Doug's mom, Celia. If you don't know her- you should. She is amazing! I really hit the mother in law jackpot with her. She is daily an example of Christ- never thinking of herself, always offering to do projects for you, she would give you anything! Her husband has just been diagnosed with mid stage alzheimer's. He's only like 58, which is very early in life. They don't know how long he has or anything. With that terrible burden, Celia has offered to refinish my dining room table, make curtains for our new house, babysit on short notice and single handedly organize a Neighborhood Fair for our House Church. AMAZING WOMAN! Anyway, her middle name is Adele. Doug likes that for a first name, but I don't beacause of the movie _Kalifornia_ with Brad Pitt and Juliette Lewis (who I absolutely can't stand)- her character's name is Adele. So Doug and I have been trying to find a name and haven't had any luck. Any suggestions? We do have a boy name which is Jack Douglas Citizen. Both of Doug's grandfathers were named Jack. I like it. Besides the main pirate in Pirate's of the Carribean with Johnny Depp is named Jack- which just made me re-realize what a cool guy name it is.
So, unnamed baby girl or Jack is the size of a peach. S/he hasn't been making sick, which is nice. S/he has been making me incredibly tired and I go to bed at 9pm every other night. Tonight is a late night obviously.
Well, Doug is home now. Please blog so I have something to read.

A Lesson My Kids Taught Me About God

PLEASE NOTE: If you don't have kids you may not be able to relate much to this story. Maybe you'll realize what a luxury it is (I DO mean luxury) to unbuckle your seatbelt, open your door, close and lock you door and begin walking to you destination- LUXURY!

THE STORY: So Loredana has this terrible habit of taking off her shoes in the car. If we are going to my sister in laws (3-5 minutes drive) she has her shoes off when we get there. Emma has this habit of bringing some adorable toy that she just can't bear to leave at home into the car. Lately, it has been HOT. Twice now, as I've been standing in the burning heat, digging around the floor of my car for discarded shoes & waiting for Emma to kiss her baby goodbye, lay her down gently for a nap, and find her drink to bring, I've lost it! I mean horrible nagging mom in the parking lot, "Why do you have to take your shoes off? We haven't been in the car ten minutes! Emma let's go!! It's hot!! I want to go inside!" Both times I've done that, as I was carrying Loredana inside wherever we went she out of the blue started stroking my hair in this gentle "niiiice" way she has. (She does it to Gabriel a lot after she's decked him.) She knew I was upset and she knew it was because of her. She wanted to make me feel better. She was saying," I know, I'm selfish and want my feet to be comfortable in the car. I still love you and I hope you can feel better soon. Why don't I do that when God is frustrated with me? No, I usually justify my actions, try to cover something up or simply run away from Him in his frustration. He's just hot and wants me to get over it already, so He can move onto the next thing He's got to teach me. Maybe next time, I stroke His hair. Maybe I can learn that.

Hi. I started a blog. I have really wanted to since I found out about it. But I was feeling lame and late. "Everyone's doing it." kind of thing. I was reading blogs today and I just kept crying (typical for me). Things that people just don't say in conversations. Real authentic thoughts. I only like movies when I feel emotionally connected to the characters. I like to care enough about the characters to cry and laugh with them, not at them. Anyway, these blogs were all characters of real people I already know, saying things they would never say about their childhoods, their trials, their personal hygiene, saying sorry & going to movies alone. It's all so real. I cared enough to cry.
I got off line. Sat by the window and cried some more. It would be cool if I could make someone cry because they cared enough about what was happening to me. I'm not really that kind of person, but I can start a blog and pretend that people are crying.
Anyway, now Debbie is the only silent voice left in the house.